Electric plug



Aprfl 25, 1933. EATON J L95A52 ELECTRIC PLUG Filed May 9, 1929 ATTORNEY3 atented Apr. 25, "W33 is? EATUN, 9E GLEVELQND, @EIO, SEGNQR TO MAY G. Elh'll'till EL'EQLG ELUt-l- Application tiled may 9, 1929. Serial Ito. 361.62%.

provided with such firm means of attachiii ment to the bindin posts upon the electric toasters or other electrical appliances that considerable dificulty is experienced in attachin the plug thereto or removing the same t erefrom without holdin the toaster or other such appliance with the one hand while manipulating the plug with the other hand. This is not objectionable when the frame of the toaster is cold, but it is decided ly objectionable and practically impossible to hold a toaster with the bare hand when it is in highly heated condition. Switches have been employed as a means of turning the current ofit and on, but such an arrangement is quite costly and in any event, it still becomes necessary to employ the one hand as a means of steadying the toaster or other such a pliance while manipulating the plug with t a other hand, and the same objection 25 exists in case the frame of the toaster should be too hot tor comfortable holding with the bare hand.

. It is therefore the object of the present in rention to devise a term of electric plug which can be readily attached to and detached from the binding posts of the electric toaster or other such appliance by merely manipulating the plug with the one hand and without having to touch the frame of the toaster itself. a

A further object is to devise such an attachment which can be embodied as a part of the electric plug and which is electrically insulated. ,hl'ore specificahy, it is the object of this invention to devise a hand-manipulated attachment for the electric plug which is adapted to open the electric connecting means of the lug so as to permit the same to be readily attached to or detached from the binding posts of the toaster or other such ap liance. I gther objects. will appear from the following description and c aims when considered together with the accompanying drawmg.

tends through an opening in the casing mem her 2, this outer portion 10 being adapted for Fi l is a perspective viewillustrating the a pllcation ot the present invention to an. e ectric toaster; Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the improved form of electric plug; Fi 3 is an end View of the same according to me 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a View taken on line H of Fig. 5; Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on lines 5--5 and 6-6, respectively, of-Fig. a; and Fig. 7 is a perspective my view of the presser member.

The casing of the electric plug comprises the half-sections 1 and 2 of an electric insulating material within which are enclosed the electric connecting means for establishing electric contact between the wires of the electric cord 3 and the binding posts 4 upon the electric toaster which is partially indicated by reference-numeral 5. The separate wires 3* and 3 of the cord are attached by means of the screws 6 to the rear ends of the spring W contact members which are adapted to engage the binding posts 4. As indicated in the drawing, especially in Fig. 6, the screws 6 are threaded into the rear end portions 7 of the lowerpar't of the spring-engaging mem her, while the rear end portion of the upper part 8 of the spring engaging member is adapted to be engaged by the ower part 9 of the presseror button member 10 which enpressing engagement by the finger of the operator. The spring engaging members are in each casepivotally mounted at the point ll and are normally forced into closed position by means of the s ring 12 so as to effect closing of the circuit by engagement of the binding posts 4. The forward portions 7* and 8 of the spring engaging members normally occupy closed position and are opened by depression of the presser member 10. The spring engaging members rest in the seats or depressions which are formed in the casing member 1 upon the opposite sides of the middle portion 13. Likewise, the'casing member 2 is provided with cut-out portions so as to ac- .commodate the spring engaging members when the two parts of the casing are secured together. The portion 2 of the casing is also 7 provided with a middle portion 14, and the till bolts extend through the portions 13 and 14 as a means of securing together the two halves 1 and 2 of the insulated casing. The casing is composed entirely of electric insulating material as is also the presser member. The presser member is also formed as onepiece and is provided with the cut-out portion 9* for sliding engagement'with the rear end portion of the longitudinally extending middle portion 13. In this way, the presser member 10 is insured of straight-line movement so as to pro erly engage the two spring engaging mem rs for simultaneously opening the same. As indicated in the drawing, the lever arm 8 is made sufiiciently long so as to afford sulficient leverage for the opening of the spring-engaging members without requiring undue pressure upon the presser member.

At the same time, the screws 6 are arranged at a point sufliciently to the rear so that their position will not interfere with the downward movement of the presser member upon releasing the spring-enga 'ng members.

Except for the novel eatures herein set forth, the casing is of substantially the same construction and the parts associated therewith are connected in substantially the same manner as in the form of plug familiar to those who are acquainted with the present art.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is merely for purposes of illustration and that there may be effected various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. It is to be understood also that the present invention may be adopted for use in connection with various forms of electrical appliances, and the following claims are intended to cover any and all forms of the present invention which may be adapted for any and all such uses.

With the present invention, the electric plug can be gripped in the one hand of the operator and the presser member 10 can be depressed by the thumb of the'same hand so as to open the portions 7 a and 8, respectively, which will firmly grip thersame upon release of the presser member 10. When it is desired to detach the plug, this may be done by again depressing the member 10 and without requiring the toaster to be steadied by the other hand of the operator as would be otherwise necessaryzbecause of the firm gripping engagement of the plug with the binding posts.

Thus I have provided a device which is not.

costly to manufacture and which greatly facilitates the attaching and detaching operations of the electric plug. Furthermore,

such improved form of plug is completely in sulated and therefore posse$es the highest degree of safety.

Other advantages will be apparent to those who are skilled in the art to which the present invention relates. WhatIclaimis:

1. An electric plug for an electric toaster or the like, comprising an electric insulated casing, a plurality of resiliently engaging contact means enclosed within said casing and normally tending towards closed posi tion for establishing electric connection, said contact means'each including a pair of pivotally connected members having electric terminal engaging jaws at the one end and having rearwardly extending arms at the other end, one of said arms in each case having means for connection to an electric supply line, and the other of said arms in each case being constructed and arranged to serve as a lever means for actuating the contact means for opening the same, and a single, member extending through the casing so as to be operatable from the outside thereof and adapted for transverse straight-line movement for operative engagement with all of said lever means for simultaneously spreading the same whereby said plug can be readily attached to or released from engagement with the terminal means upon an electric toaster or the like. 7 p

2. An electric plug for an electric toaster or the like, comprising an electric insulated casing, resiliently engaging contact means enclosed within said casin and normally tending to establish connection to electrical terminal means upon the electric toaster or or thelike, com rising an electric insulated casing, resilient y engaging contact means enclosed within said casing and normally tending to establish connection to electrical terminal means upon the electric toaster or the like, said casing having an. opening through one wall thereof, and a single onepiece release means of electric insulating material having a portion extending out through said opening and adapted for straight-line depression by manipulation from the ,outside'of the. casing, said release means having inner enlarged integral portions for maintaining the same in said opening and in operative engagement with said contact means inside the casing, whereby the partscan be readil assembled and the plug can be readily re eased from engagement with the terminal means.

i 4. An appliance plug including a chambered'insulation body comprisin a plurality of sections detachably but r1g1 ly connected together, a terminal prong receiv ng socket in thebody chamber comprising a pair of members yieldinggy constramed toet formation and wards each other for. soc

prong engagement, and means including a d expose portion for forcibly separating sai membersfor ready socket reception an removal of the prong.

5. An electric plug for an electric toaster or the like comgirisingan electric insulated casing, a pair 0 resiliently engaging contact means enclosed within said casing andnormally tending towards closed position for establishing electric connection, said contact means each including a pair of tiltably separable members one having an electric terminal engaging jaw at one end and arranged for electric su ply line connection, one of 16 said members being arranged to serve as a lever, means for actuating the contact means for opening same, and a single member extending through thecasing so as to be operatable from outside thereof and adapted 20 for transverse straight line movement for simultaneously s reading both contact means whereby sa1d plug can be readily ata tached to or released from engagement with the terminal means of an electric toaster or the like.

6.'An electric plug for an electric toasteror the like comprising an electric insulated casing, a pair of resiliently engaging contact means enclosed withinv said casing and normally tending towards closed position for establishing electrical cbnnection, said contact means each includin a pair of tiltably separable members onediav'lng an electric terminal engaging jaw at one end and u arranged for electrlc supply line connection,

one 0 said members being arranged to serve as a lever, means for. actuating the contact means for opening samein'eludmga pairof diverging members arranged in overlapping f relation to a separable member of eac of said contact means for simultaneously separating same from the adjacent members wherebythe plug can be readily attached to or released from enga ementwith the ter- 6 minal means for an e ectric toaster or the like, and a single member adapted to transverse straight line movement and movable through the casing and having operative en-- -gzgement with the separable contact memis through said diverging members, said transversely movable memberlbeing normally constrained outwardly relat ire to the easm e I in testimony whereof, Iihereby afiix my si ature. a

' GEORGE EATON 7 

